How to follow up on proposals in HubSpot so none go quiet
A proposal that gets no reply in a week is rarely a no. Usually the buyer got busy, needs to show it to someone, or has one question they haven't asked. A short, specific follow-up wins a surprising number of those deals back. The hard part is remembering to send it, for every deal, every time.
Find the proposals that have gone quiet
- Make sure "Proposal sent" (or whatever you call it) is its own stage in your deal pipeline.
- Build a deal view filtered to that stage, sorted by how long each deal has sat there. HubSpot records time in stage, so this is a filter, not a spreadsheet.
- Add a second filter for no recent activity, so you only see the ones nobody has touched.
Look at that view every morning. Anything older than three working days needs a follow-up.
What HubSpot can automate
| Tool | What it does | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow that creates a task | Reminds the deal owner when a deal sits in a stage too long | It reminds a person, it doesn't write or send anything. Deal-based workflows need a Professional plan. |
| Sequences | Sends a series of timed emails to a contact until they reply | Someone has to enrol each contact, and the emails are templates, not written from the deal. Needs Sales Hub Professional or above. |
| Deal view plus a daily habit | Free and works on any plan | Only as reliable as the person doing it. |
Plans change, so check what yours includes before you build around it.
What a good proposal follow-up says
- Something specific to them. Mention a detail from the proposal or a question they asked, so it isn't a generic chaser.
- One easy next step. A 15 minute call, a yes or no on one point, or who else should see it.
- No guilt. "Just checking it landed" works better than "I haven't heard back".
- Short. Three or four sentences. They should be able to answer from their phone.
A simple rhythm
| When | Send |
|---|---|
| 3 working days after the proposal | Did it land, and one specific detail or answer |
| 7 working days | An offer to walk them or a colleague through it |
| 14 working days | A polite close: "should I take this off your list for now?" |
Stop the moment they reply, book a call or the deal moves stage. Chasing someone who has already answered undoes the goodwill the follow-ups built.
Where HubChat fits
HubChat is part of Kikaye, a set of small HubSpot apps on one login. See what HubChat does, or read the setup guide.